On the Parallel Struggles of Photography and GAN-generated Imagery

Abstract This article analyzes certain aspects of the reception and acceptance of the emerging technology of GAN generated visuals (DALL-E, Midjourney, and Stable Diffusion) by the general public as of mid-2021 to early 2023. It will deal specifically with the negative and positive expectations of it and put them into the context of social acceptance and expectations surrounding the formation of the photography medium in the early 19th century. Both of the inventions mark a milestone in the timeline of a data-driven society. Both tools utilize a reference to reality or its visual coding. GAN image generators, as well as photography, were expected, as a product of science, to deliver almost mythically perfect, objective outputs. While photography had previously been used in pseudoscientific projects to support racist claims, the public appears surprised by the bias of the GAN datasets, and their creators are currently looking for ways to eliminate it through process moderation. The goal of using this comparison is to explore a common trait of both epochs: the affinity for devices, specifically the idea of “a black box”. It will aid us in describing the relationship of the data society to itself based on machine-based creation of visuals with varying degrees of autonomy and generativity. Finally, we will examine the practical implications of the discussed aspects in the near future. Key words 19th century. Accumulation of knowledge. Black-box. Data society. GAN visuals. Lens-based imagery. Download paper ŠIMKOVIČOVÁ, M.: On the Parallel Struggles of Photofraphy and GAN-generated Imagery. In European Journal of Media, Art and Photography, 2022, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 66-71, ISSN 1339-4940.

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Theatre of the Street

Download paper PAVLŮ, D.: Theatre of the Street. In European Journal of Media, Art and Photography, 2022, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 124-127, ISSN 1339-4940.

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AKCENTA generated record profit last year

AKCENTA’s profit reached almost CZK 100 million last year. The financial institution successfully exploited the high volatility on the foreign exchange market and companies’ need to hedge against exchange rate risk.

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Spiritual Expressionism or Dynamic Meditation?

Abstract Kamil Varga is a significant Czechoslovak photographer based in Prague, Czech Republic and one of the key figures of the photographic group Slovak New Wave. The author’s work has changed over the years. This portfolio attempts to show his key mom

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Everyday Life in Various Slides and the Constant Carousel of Art

Abstract The philosophy of Lenka L. Lukačovičová’s work is based on her interest in our cultural and personal identity, collective memory, but also problems with functioning, and problems associated with current situations in the area where she works. The

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Literary and Philosophical Text in the Interconnection of Opinions (G. Vámoš: Atoms of God and The Principle of Cruelty)

Abstract This paper focuses on the writer Gejza Vámoš (1951 – 1956), namely his two publications of different natures, i.e. the novel Atoms of God and his Dissertation thesis in philosophy, The Principle of Cruelty. These are texts that were more or less

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